Dear Mr Parrikar,
Have a great and more productive as well as constructive 2017 dotted with more rational and sane decisions unlike 2016!
I watched your entire interview on NEWS X channel last night (30 Dec, 2016). As an ordinary citizen and member of institution of military with basic knowledge of national, international and specific issues related to Military, I submit my considered opinion for your kind perusal.
But before enunciating my views may I compliment you as the first politician to have questioned our misplaced and professionally insane option of NO FIRST USE( NFU) policy in vogue with respect to use of nuclear weapons. My only regret is that you stopped few steps short of clearly defining the nuclear postulates of our country. Pseudo intellectuals of our great nation have masked the thinking of decision makers in that respect ever since 1974. These pseudos have confined themselves to USA/USSR terminology viz Mutually Assured Destruction, Flexible Response etc and have not graduated to coining a term applicable in our scenario. NFU policy adoption is indicative of a reactive mindset obsessed with protective philosophy viz THE SHIELD. A nation like ours with hostile neighbours must adopt the pro-active philosophy viz THE SWORD. Incidentally Vidur in Mahabharata and Chanakya much later have stated something similar. Since the pseudos of our nation have failed to come up with a suitable term in past 42 years, I will risk suggesting a term applicable in our scenario wrt employment of nuclear weapons. The term is THREAT BASED FIRST USE (TBFU) option. Do consider my suggestion.
Let me narrate an event from recent pages of history wherein the only super power USA changed her decision based on recommendations from an ordinary but rational thinking citizen. USA carried out its 823rd nuclear test in 1992. One of USA’s premier nuclear establishment The Larry Livermoore Establishment in California producing Hydrogen Bomb warheads was on the brink of closure because of nuclear détente and huge maintenance cost running into millions of dollar every year. Senate committee was scheduled to take the decision in this regard based entirely on the recommendation of pseudo intellectuals. However all that changed overnight after an ordinary young scientist submitted his paper supporting continuance of the facility. Rest is history. Larry Livermoore Establishment lives on.
Let me revert to issues;
Appointment of CDS
You informed the nation that a presentation will be made to PM in January, 2017. You further added that we will have a CDS in 2017. Great going indeed! But please consider the following:-
As of now CDS will retire at 62 years after a two year tenure and will be a four star officer. Should you insist on appointing a CDS with these QRs, be prepared for more problems than solutions.
If you are seriously considering appointing a CDS and creating yet another monolith, please ensure that:-
· Firstly, the CDS is a FIVE STAR OFFICER,
· Secondly, his retirement age would be 64/65 years for TWO/THREE YEAR TENURE, WHICHEVER IS LATER. This would enable you to appoint a CDS, a former Service Chief, who retired at 62.
· Thirdly, in addition to being the so called ‘SINGLE POINT CONTACT’ major responsibility of CDS would be heading the Defence Procurement Board, the executive body that looks after and decides procurement. Current arrangement of Defence Secretary heading the DPB is an eminently unsuitable OPTION.
My personal views are that we do not (r) not require a CDS. But should we insist on committing professional hara-kiri and aping, we must alter the QRs as suggested.
Appointment of Gen Suhag’s Successor
At the outset may I state that in the capacity of ‘Government of the Day’, collective decision of the government to appoint Bipin Rawat as the next CoAS ahead of his two seniors is totally and absolutely correct and rational. Super session in any domain, military in particular, is a norm rather than an exception. Nobody has a right to question this decision. Notwithstanding the fact that your political bed-fellows attempted to corner you, primarily because they had no other issue to confront you. What must have surprised you most ( it surprised me) would have been the comments of post-event specialists in uniform enunciating that by superseding two Lt Gens, the government has sullied the institution of the Army. Comments of post-event specialists must be ignored as should be the contents of ANONYMOUS LETTERS, which should be consigned to waste paper basket.
Where you messed up completely was your attempt to defend your rational action. There was no need to do that. To state that “ Bipin Rawat has been appointed as the next CoAS ahead of Praveen Bakshi and Mohammad Hariz because he (Rawat) has more experience in valley, north-east and counter insurgency operations is blasphemy. You do not appoint Army Chief based on such inconsequential factors. Are you trying to convey that if the war were to be fought in desert terrain, you will appoint a new CoAS, who is from Mechanised/Armoured background? The hollow defence of Bipin Rawat’s appointment only helped in fuelling the controversy. Your stand should have been simple; we as the government of the day have selected the most competent from a group of otherwise competent officers. Period!
Undesirable and irrelevant discourse by all and sundry, including our media suffering from incurable disease of SENSATIONALITIS, went to town, thereby lowering the status of new incumbent for no fault of his. Retired military officers, unfortunately, too joined the chorus against supersession. Sad commentary on our professional maturity indeed!
Let me risk forecasting adverse psychological impact of all this unsavory activity, which was ignited not only by supersession but inordinate delay in announcing the name of new incumbents. On that count you have failed as Raksha Mantri. Names of new incumbents ought to have been announced latest by October, 2016. Failure to make timely announcement has given free hand to pseudos. Your ministers have repeatedly emphasized that Bipin Rawat has been appointed as the next CoAS because of his vast experience in CI ops and so on. Across the border too this message has travelled. Knowing the Pakistani psyche in great depth, Mr Minister be prepared for a major terrorist action in the valley within days of Bipin Rawat assuming the office. It would be Pakistan’s way of challenging your decision and his expertise. I have no intelligence reports at my disposal sitting near Shimla enjoying the lovely sun leaving you to enjoy the ‘grey’ winters of Delhi. No wonder then that the ‘grey’ windows of Delhiites are so wide!
May I remind the post event specialist in uniform to merely look at Pakistan. Current CoAS also superseded two generals but there have not been any write-ups of the kind we had. In fact as per a report in media the new Pak CoAS called his seniors and requested them to continue. Bipin Rawat are you listening?
By the way, Mr Minister can we think out of box? Why not empower the outgoing Service Chief to recommend name of his successor as is done in case of Chief Justice of India.
Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi’s Arrest
It would be stating the obvious that decision to arrest ACM SP Tyagi could not have been taken by the CBI headed by a ‘part-time’ new incumbent without the express knowledge and permission from Mr Modi and yourself, may be few others. I wrote to you after hearing your rather insipid speech in Lok Sabha on 4th May, 2016, wherein you addressed a former Service Chief as ‘CHOTE AADMI’. I wonder if your staff placed it in front of you. If not, read it now along with this letter. May I ask you as to what is your defence of your most irrational and profligate action of ordering the arrest of ACM SP Tyagi. He was always available for questioning on numerous occasions, whenever called by the CBI. Mr Parrikkar you have knowingly sullied the institution of Service Chief. I am absolutely certain that you have been apprised of the comments made by the judge while granting bail to ACM SP Tyagi regarding the IMMEASURABLE INCOMPETENCE OF THE CAGED PARROT, THE CBI in failing to produce any substantive evidence as yet. Need I repeat those words. I consider it below my professional and moral dignity. Should you not consider to offer an apology, not to ACM SP Tyagi, but the entire nation that indeed you made a gross error of judgment in ordering arrest at this stage. It should have been left to judiciary. Persons with high moral values do not attack ‘soft targets’. Political expediency will not allow you to lay your hands on connected bureaucrats and politicians.
Your indiscretion has resulted in irreparable damage to the image of Indian Military. Without further elaboration I will merely quote one example. Mr Bharat Karnad (you ought to have heard his name, may be met him) in his post in public domain has said the following in his article titled “ Misplaced Loyalties and Weeding out Corrupt in the Military” dated 16thDecember, 2016:-
“After all, armed forces personnel who can feather their own nests by facilitating the purchase of this or that piece of military hardware, perhaps, pre-chosen by the politician cabals of the day, can just as easily sell India’s war plans, force disposition schemes, and anything else that is deemed of value to India’s enemies.These persons in uniform have an unseen label of “purchasable” hung around their necks and, hence, are the biggest threats to national security. Time has come for a deep weeding out of the corrupt from the military’s highest leadership echelons.”
As Raksha Mantri does it not strike to you that by terming institution of Military as ‘PURCHASABLE’, the author has committed professional sacrilege? Would you still like him to continue as the head of supposedly a premier ‘Think-Tank’? Any person with such views, specially when occupying position of eminence needs to be sacked immediately.
It actually saddens me and surprises me that a team led by Mr Modi, which has performed so admirably in all spheres, could have committed this act of sheer profligacy and immaturity?
Mr Minister, wise are those, who can retrace their steps and do not resort to unbridled defence of the indefensible.
Let the courts decide the truth based on evidence produced (not fabricated) by the ‘caged parrot’. But until that happens, may I request you to honour the institution of Service Chief.
Regards,Gp Capt TP Srivastava
9818926254
01January, 2017